Latest timber industry news, updated Thursdays.

Australia’s forestry industry is finding it difficult to attract qualified or experienced people to work in this interesting and rewarding sector. Source: Timberbiz This is despite the fact that Australia’s forest industry is a dynamic and sustainable provider of regional employment,

The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) and the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) welcome the $190 million investment in what will be Australia’s largest plantation hardwood mill and timber product manufacturing facility. Source: Timberbiz The facility is to b

A timber company will open a training centre in Maryborough after struggling to fill vacant positions because of unqualified applicants. Source: Fraser Coast Chronicle Sunchip Group managing director Mark Blackberry said roles offering a yearly salary of $80,000 and a work-life balanc

The outlook for Canadian lumber producers appears to be more rosy than ever, with the forecast for 2018 housing starts in the US and lumber prices expected to be on the rise yet again. Source: Baystreet With forecasts of nearly 8% growth in housing starts expected in 2018 (on a season

Stronger than steel, capable of deflecting bullets and lighter than metal alloys – yet this new “supermaterial” is made mostly from wood. Source: Physics World The material was created by Liangbing Hu at the University of Maryland Energy Research Center and colleagues, who

The jobs of eight sawmill workers were a key factor in allowing a mill near Grafton to keep operating despite doubts about the legality of its operation. Source: The Daily Examiner Councillors voted 7-1 to allow the Raging Red Timbers mill at the Pinnacles, north of Grafton, to keep o

Polling of voters in the seats of Mount Gambier and MacKillop has found that almost 2 in every 3 voters say they will vote for the Party and candidate that best supports South Australia’s Forest Industries, and almost 9 in 10 recognised the sector’s importance to the local economy. So

An effort to crowdfund a forest, founded by a trio from Christchurch, has hit an incredible target of 1 million trees pledged. Source: Newshub Adrien Taylor, Jeff Willis and Dr Dan Price created ‘Trump Forest’ less than a year ago, after the US president, the movement was

The Tasmanian Liberal government has promised to introduce new anti-protest laws to replace those struck out by the high court if it is returned to power next month. Source: The Guardian The previous laws were ruled unconstitutional in October after a challenge by the former Australia

After protestors stationed themselves at a live VicForests harvesting site in far East Gippsland recently they put themselves, and workers, at risk and caused timber harvesting operations to be suspended. Source: Timberbiz This harvesting is part of ongoing operations that occur follo

Forest safety, improving productivity and getting workers off the felling site has been a major push for forestry managers, forest owners, logging contractors and equipment suppliers. Source: Timberbiz To provide local operations with an insight into just where the technology is headi

Operators of the Goulburn rail hub are investigating opportunities to expand the facility. Whether that’s at the existing Braidwood Road/Sloane Street location or elsewhere around Goulburn is still up in the air, says Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia (CFCLA) managing director, Ia